In the cases of Armstrong and SSU, this is one of those rare instances where I can see both sides.

Is it distressing that the taxpayers are pouring money into schools where only one-third of students graduate? Yes, it does. Does the fact that by 2020 about 60 percent of jobs will require education after high school demand action? Yes, it does.

But as I wrote in the column, Armstrong and SSU provide value that doesn’t show up in graduation rates and progress toward degrees.

It would be easy to look at the 17 percent of kids at SSU taking pre-college classes and say those kids don’t belong in college; that they should be in technical schools learning a trade or working jobs that don’t require education beyond high school.

Similarly, we could look at the Armstrong students who intend to transfer all along and say if they are going to enroll at GSU or UGA and Tech in the end wouldn’t we be better off investing more in those schools and pushing those would-be transfer students to start where they want to finish?

But we must remember these are kids, not shares of stock or pork bellies or real estate. When it comes to those needing remedial classes at SSU, understand that many fall behind in high school for a variety or reasons – from pure laziness or out of rebellion to working part-time jobs – and an open access college gives them the second chance they need.

Meanwhile, on the southside, 51 percent of Armstrong freshmen come fromChatham,Bryan, Effingham,Liberty, Tattnall and Toombs counties. They start close to home for a number of reasons, from financial to emotional, and Armstrong is that gateway to higher education.

So, should we demand more from our colleges and universities? Absolutely. Should we reward those that show improvement? Absolutely. Should we undermine those schools that address students in special circumstances? Absolutely not.

Let me know what you think in the comments section below. Should make for an interesting debate.

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